


When It's You and Not Me

by muscatmusic18



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Knee Replacement, Sousa Family, Surgery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-09-02 02:14:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8647723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muscatmusic18/pseuds/muscatmusic18
Summary: When Peggy has to get a knee replacement, her and Daniel's roles have to switch when it comes to leaning on each other.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [truth_renowned](https://archiveofourown.org/users/truth_renowned/gifts).



> I've had this piece in progress for a while now, but since I heard truth_renowned just had surgery, I figured that some peggysous fluff might help speed up the recovery process!

“Knee replacement?” Peggy asked, sitting in the doctor’s office, Daniel by her side when the doctor told her the news.

“That's what I'm recommending, Mrs. Sousa.” The man sat with his hands in between his legs, fingertips pressed together until the nail beds began to turn white.

“But, how? I'm healthy, and I've just turned 63.” She asked, shaking her head slightly in disbelief.

For several months, her knee had been giving her trouble; nothing but a dull ache at first, but slowly progressing to the point where she needed to ask Daniel for help out of chairs, needing his forearms to brace herself just so that she could rise out of her chair without the excruciating, bone-grinding pain. He would always help her, though, but he never missed an opportunity to shoot her his ‘go-to-the-doctor’ look, which Peggy promptly ignored. But, when the day came that she was ten minutes late for a meeting because her knee wouldn't let her walk the length of the S.H.I.E.L.D building without several breaks, Daniel stepped in and scheduled an appointment to their family doctor, which brought to them to where they were now.

“You've had a very active lifestyle.” The doctor continued, shifting to rest his elbow on the desk next to him.

“I've known you since before your children were born, and I've never seen you sit still.” Daniel chuckled, sliding his hand over Peggy’s knee as she leaned further into his side. “Now, usually this isn't a problem, but considering the amount of stress you place on your body and joints, I'm surprised your knees have held out this long.”

The air turned somber, this was a big surgery. Peggy ducked her head and took a deep breath before looking the doctor in the eyes. “What is the next step?”

“We schedule an appointment at the hospital, and the surgeons there will give you an exam. Then, they will schedule the surgery, and in a few months, you’ll be as good as new.” The doctor watched Peggy’s hand tighten around her husband’s, so he backpedaled, knowing just how strong she was, but underneath the steel and immaculate lipstick, she was only human.

“With technology today, this is becoming a routine procedure. You will need to go through physical therapy, and a cane will be needed for a short while, but after that, there should be nothing else except the ability to walk pain free.There is no need to worry, Mrs. Sousa.”

He watched the couple give a collective sigh of relief, and he suppressed a smile, watching them work in such synchronicity. “Now, let’s set up that appointment and get you on your way.”

~~~~~~~~~

After an exam with a surgeon, her surgery was scheduled for the 16th of May. She would be kept in the hospital for a week, and then be sent home to recover and strengthen for a couple of months, and then from there she could get back to work without a hitch. And while getting the problem fixed was on the top of Peggy’s list, missing that much of work seemed to be the biggest downside.

“I’m the Director, and missing two weeks is hard, much less two months.” Peggy sat at the dinner table as Daniel prepared their meals.

“There is a reason you have an Assistant Director. Agent Mark will be thrilled to have a chance in the spotlight.” He set their plates on the table, easing himself into a chair next to her.

“Mmm. As much as I like Agent Mark, there is another recruit I wish I could put in charge. He’s young, but Agent Fury has good instincts.”

“You could ask them to co-direct. Agent Mark might not-” He was cut off by the doorbell sounding. Confused, he looked to Peggy, who wore the same expression, so he stood, making his way to the door on the leg Stark had made for him years ago.

“Mike! Colleen!” Daniel gasped before he pulled his two children into a hug, Michael kicking the door closed behind him. 

“What are you two doing here?” Peggy struggled to lift herself from her chair, a smile spreading across her lips at the sight of her children.

“Well, mum, when you told us that you were having surgery, we figured we might want to come out to make sure you were okay.” Michael quipped, a slight English accent edging into his voice.

“Mum, don't get up, your knee must be aching.” Colleen rushed over, pushing her back into her chair, ignoring her mother’s protests.

Finally back in her chair, she shot an exasperated to her children before opening her arms, beckoning the two. “I've missed my darlings.”

“We've missed you too, mum.” Michael whispered, kneeling as he and his sister were pulled into their mother’s embrace.

~~~~~~~~~

Daniel watched as the doctors rolled his wife towards the operating room, not able to go any further.

Sighing and turning, he moseyed his way back to the waiting room, easing himself into a chair next to his kids.

“She’ll be out in a few hours. For now, we're stuck here.”

“Mum will be fine. You know she's too stubborn to let a knee surgery take her down.” Michael said.

Daniel nodded, agreeing fully. “You take after her in that way. Meant you were always in trouble as a kid, I was constantly running after you.”

Colleen laughed. “He may look like you, dad, but deep down, Mike’s all mum.”

“I always thought it would be the other way around, but your mom and Mike have always conspired together, usually against me.”

The family laughed, before falling into silence, Colleen tucking her feet underneath her legs and resting her head on Daniel’s shoulder, slowly falling asleep as they waited out the long hours.

~~~~~~~~~

Finally, a nurse came to get them, assuring the three that her surgery went well, and that they could now wait in her room. Within a few hours, a groggy Peggy awoke to her family surrounding her.

“How do you feel, love?” Daniel asked, taking one of her hands in his.

“Tired.” Her eyes drifted closed, a drunken smile twisting her lips. “They gave me morphine, didn't they?”

“That they did, dear.” He chortled, kissing her hand. “Try to be good, the kids are here, and I know you on morphine.”

“Or not.” Michael smarted. “I'd love to see that.”

“I'd glare at you if I wasn't so tired.” She turned her head towards Michael’s voice, her eyes still closed.

“Mum is too tired to glare? Better record the date and time, this won't happen again.”

“Don't push your luck, Michael.” Her eyes opened, the beginnings of a stern look on the edges of her eyes.

“Yes ma’am.” Michael ducked his head, Colleen sniggering besides him, elbowing his side.

“Go back to sleep, darling. I can handle the children.” Daniel joked, ignoring the two whispering and elbowing each other.

She snorted. “They say they’re in their thirties, but sometimes I wonder.”

“Believe me, I wonder too.” He watched his wife’s eyes drift shut again, so he smoothed her limp, graying curls back from her forehead. “Get some rest, love. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“Love you.” The words barely made it out of her mouth, but he managed to hear them.

“Love you too.”

~~~~~~~~~

“Alright, discharge papers are signed, Mike and Colleen are at home making sure everything is ready, so all we need is you.” Daniel limped back into her hospital room, seeing his wife sitting on the bed.

“Am I ever ready to get out of this blasted place.” Peggy huffed, tying the strands on her blouse.

She leaned down and buckled one of her shoes before looking at the other one, taking a breath to prepare herself for the pain of leaning on her incision, but before she could do anything, Daniel was there, gently buckling it for her.

“Ready?” He asked, running his hand over her good knee and looking up from his spot on the floor.

She gave a small nod, Daniel standing and extending his arms for her to use. They had tried standing and taking a few small steps a couple of days prior on doctor’s orders, but it had caused her immense pain, so they hadn’t tried it again. Today would be an experiment.

She gripped his forearms, pulling herself up and gently resting weight on her right leg until she was mostly balanced. From there, she stepped her right leg forward, putting weight on it until she pleasantly discovered that there wasn’t much pain at all. Small steps after small steps until together they had reached the wheelchair waiting for her on the edge of the room, she sat down, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Well, that went much better than I thought it would, especially after what happened before. Perhaps there is hope of going back to work early.”

Daniel hummed, tucking a blanket around her legs and unlocking the wheels before pushing her into the corridor. “Wait until you start PT. Then you won’t want to go back to work.”

“Oh, don’t remind me. I don’t want to think about that special kind of torture until I absolutely have to.”

She was silent until they got to the car, waiting until Daniel bent in front of her to lock the wheels before speaking. “You’ll help me through this, won't you?”

Daniel’s eyebrows raised, taken aback by her comment. “Of course. Why would you think I wouldn’t?”

“I don’t mean that. I just… You’ve been through a similar experience, and while mine will not be as difficult as yours, I still have to learn how to walk again. You’ve done this before, and I need more help than just a husband can give to a wife.” She paused, biting down on her lip. “We’ve switched roles; I’ve always been the one helping you around the house, but now I’ll be needing an arm to lean on, or to have my cane brought to me. I’ve never minded doing anything like that for you, and believe me when I say that, but now we’re opposites. Which is why I’ll need a different type of help than just as my husband. You’ll need to be my guide as well.”

Daniel’s chest tightened at her speech, the raw emotions in her voice and the fear and doubt in her eyes. Lowering his good knee to the ground, he managed to bend his prosthetic until his was sitting back on his heels in front of her, eye level with her knees. He pulled the blanket back, he rested his hands on her thighs, softly stroking through the fabric of her skirt before lowering his head to her knee to press a soft kiss atop the bandage.

“These next few months are going to be a change, for both of us. In thirty five years of marriage, we've built an incredible routine that's allowed us to work seamlessly together. Often times, I wonder is we're one person or two. Now things are going to have to change, but that doesn't mean we're different people. I'm still the man you married all those years ago, and you're still the lovely, breathtaking woman I fell in love with. When it's you, and not me, learning to walk again, it does hurt me. You're Peggy Carter, flawless, strong, and kind enough to support me every single time I got a new prosthetic. But now it's my turn. And while I hate seeing you in pain, I will still do everything I can to help you through this. Don't worry about me turning my back, Peg, ‘cause I'm not leaving.”

Her hands found their way to his jaw, fingers twining through the soft curls on the nape of his neck and stroking his cheek, the rough stubble scratching at her palm; a comforting feeling that reminded her that she was home.

“Thank you, my love. For everything.” Peggy murmured, her voice thick and her eyes shining.

He smiled softly, turning his head to kiss her hand before righting himself, helping her into the car and pulling out of the parking lot, driving home to their children and their lives.

**Author's Note:**

> There was more to this, but it didn't sound right, so I just cut it. A sappy ending is always the best kind of ending, anyways.


End file.
